Cillian Murphy is making a comeback to our screens, but this time it’s going to be a whole different vibe.
Set nearly thirty years in the future, in a dystopian Britain hit hard by a flesh-eating virus, Murphy is returning to the franchise that really kickstarted his career.
Before he starred in the 2002 zombie classic 28 Days Later, he had a few roles under his belt, but it was his performance as Jim, a bike courier who wakes up from a coma to a zombie-infested UK, that truly launched him into stardom.
Since then, his career has taken off, and he even snagged an Oscar this year for his leading role in Oppenheimer.
When asked about the chance to wrap up the trilogy for the 28 franchise, Murphy shared with Variety in February, “I’ve always said I’d love to be part of it because that movie changed everything for me, and I have a lot of love for it and for Alex and Danny.”
Now, that wish has come true with the release of the trailer for 28 Years Later this morning (December 10). It’s been confirmed that Alex Garland and Danny Boyle teamed up to write the new film, with Boyle also directing.
Just a few days ago, on December 6, Sony Pictures teased the film on Instagram with a poster that read, “time didn’t heal anything.”
At the end of the first movie, which is the only one featuring Murphy, we see his character Jim with Naomie Harris as Selena and Megan Banks as Hannah. They seem to be getting rescued by the RAF when a plane flies overhead, and they unfurl a massive banner that says ‘HELLO’.
However, based on the trailer for 28 Years Later, it looks like things didn’t turn out as well for Jim as we might have hoped.
It’s been confirmed that Murphy will be back as Jim in the sequel, but with Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, and Ralph Fiennes joining the cast, there might not be much space for a living Murphy.
Instead, it seems he’s come back as a Zombie.
Fans were taken aback by his zombie look in the trailer when they took to Reddit. One user exclaimed, “Omg zombie Cillian Murphy!”
Another commented, “That one-second shot of Cillian Murphy is giving me a bone-deep sense of terror.”
Seeing the ‘hero’ end up like that makes it feel way more ‘real’ than a movie should be, haha.
Another person chimed in: “It’s like a greatest hits album from the last two films.
“Zombies in the church, the wave rolling in, the dark tunnel fight.
“And was that Cillian Murphy at 1:47?!”
Someone else wrote: “We already know Cillian has a small role in this one and a much bigger part in the second film. I doubt it’s a spoiler; we just don’t have the full context yet.”
Fiennes has mentioned that this film will be part of a trilogy, with two already filmed – 28 Years Later and 28 Years Later Part II: The Bone Temple.
Mark your calendars for the release of 28 Days Later on June 20, 2025.